Using second life virtual simulation environment for mock oral emergency medicine examination

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Virtual Reality Simulation
• Emergency Medicine Training

Background:

• Oral examinations are crucial for evaluating Emergency Medicine (EM) residents and for board certification.
• Second Life (SL), a 3D virtual environment, has been utilized for medical education.
• This study investigates the application of SL for mock oral examinations in EM residency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility and resident perceptions of using Second Life (SL) virtual simulation for mock oral examinations in Emergency Medicine (EM) residency.
• To compare resident experiences with virtual oral examinations in SL versus traditional face-to-face formats.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study involving EM residents who had previously completed traditional mock oral exams.
• Residents participated in a similar case scenario conducted via SL, acting as physician avatars communicating with faculty examiners as patient avatars.
• Post-examination surveys using a Likert scale assessed resident experiences with both traditional and virtual formats.

Main Results:

• Twenty-seven EM residents participated; most found SL easy to navigate and comfortable for communication.
• A high percentage (92.6%) found the SL encounter realistic, with many (70.3%) deeming it more realistic than traditional exams.
• The majority of residents found the virtual exam fair, efficient, and preferred it over the traditional format, with high interest in using SL for future educational experiences.

Conclusions:

• Second Life (SL) virtual simulation technology presents a viable alternative to traditional mock oral examinations for EM residents.
• The study highlights the potential of immersive virtual environments to enhance medical education and assessment.
• SL demonstrates effectiveness and user acceptance for conducting objective and efficient resident evaluations.